Endoscopic Treatment of Benign Biliary Strictures and Cystic Duct Leakages With a Novel Biodegradable Biliary Stent

Benign biliary strictures (BBS) and post-cholecystectomy bile leaks have traditionally been treated endoscopically with plastic stents. In BBS, promising results of covered self-expanding metal stent use have been recently published. However, in both BBS and post-cholecystectomy bile leak the need of stent therapy is temporary and endoscopic stent exchange or removal is unavoidable. These two groups of patients may be the ones that would most obviously benefit from biodegradable (BD) biliary stents. Studies of BD stents on animal models have shown excellent long term patency and safety both in biliary and pancreatic duct as well better outcome compared to plastic stents after post-cholecystectomy bile leak in an animal study. Until recently, non-operative insertion of BD polydioxanone stent in human biliary tract has been possible only via percutaneous route.

With the novel implantation device, the BD stents (braided, self-expanding polydioxanone stent, 8 x 40-60mm, Ella, Czech republic) may be used endoscopically during endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography (ERCP).

The hypothesis is that larger diameter and radial expansion strength provide at least similar treatment success as the current method of endoscopic insertion of plastic or covered self-expanding metal stents in bile leak and BBS, respectively. However, later stent exchange or removal is not necessary with BD stents.